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When Rode released it's VideoMic Pro, the little shotgun mic was sold out for weeks. I'm anticipating the same would hold true for at least the innovative VideoMic HD with built in digital audio recorder.

Through the comments, it looks like the Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro has now been listed for pre-order and comes in just shy of $300 dollars (found here).

There's also a product listing for the VideoMic HD with built in Digital Recorder, but no price has been listed yet. You could of course check in and get notified when it becomes available following the link (click here)

A new Stereo VideoMic Pro, and the VideoMic HD - worlds first 'Digital Recorder Microphone'. Say what?? Yes, Rode actually has a built in Digital Recorder inside their latest VideoMic HD that saves to MicroSD. Cray right? From the looks of it, I'm guessing this will save a copy of high quality audio to it's built in Digital Recorder, and spit out a signal via 3.5mm for the DSLR to record. I think i'll just let the Rode Press Release speak for the new products - below.

Building on the success of the VideoMic Pro, which launched in early 2011 and quickly became the defacto standard for DSLR on-camera audio, and RØDE’s original Stereo VideoMic, the new Stereo VideoMic Pro provides a high quality stereo option for videographers, and is ideal for recording music, and the atmospheric ambience essential in building a realistic audio scene.
Based around a matched pair of high sensitivity ½”cardioid condenser capsules in a coincident XY pair, the Stereo VideoMic Pro provides a wide stereo image with natural depth.

The Stereo VideoMic Pro builds on the feature set of the VideoMic Pro, with an ergonomic form factor perfectly suited to DSLR, consumer camcorders and large-sensor video cameras. The integrated shock mounting system provides superior isolation from vibration and mechanical noise that can otherwise degrade the recording quality. Additionally the lightweight yet robust multi-strand cable provides excellent acoustic decoupling from the camera and offers significantly lower noise transference than traditional audio cable.

The user friendly designed rear of the microphone body features the power and equalisation controls, including a high pass filter at 75Hz which is designed to cut out the noise generated by air conditioning, traffic and other undesirable low frequency interference.

A -10dB PAD allows the user to reduce the sensitivity of the microphone, making it suitable for recording loud sound sources such as live music or at sporting events.

Like the VideoMic Pro, the Stereo VideoMic Pro features a +20dB level boost specifically designed to provide a higher quality signal with DSLR cameras. When activated, the typically low quality camera preamp level can be reduced, resulting in a lower noise floor and much clearer recording.

“The release of the Stereo VideoMic Pro reaffirms RØDE’s category ownership of the on-camera microphone, and gives yet another tool to filmmakers, content creators and musicians” commented Damien Wilson, RØDE Microphones’ Global Sales & Marketing Director. “The audio quality of this microphone really is outstanding, and I can’t wait to hear some of the great content our customers will create with it.“

The VideoMic HD’s audio DNA is directly inherited from RØDE’s flagship NTG3 professional shotgun microphone. Incorporating the same capsule and sharing much of the electronic design of the NTG3, the VideoMic HD is a true condenser super-cardioid shotgun microphone with RF bias technology. This makes it virtually immune to RF interference and condensation that can cause other condenser microphones to fail.

Continuing its history of innovation and ‘industry-firsts’ RØDE has incorporated a high quality digital recorder into the body of the VideoMic HD. This completely removes the requirement for a separate audio recorder, while still also providing throughput of the audio signal to the camera for a superior reference audio track.

File storage is via microSD card and a microUSB port is supplied for convenient file access and possible firmware updates.

An integrated headphone jack with level control allows users to monitor their recording in real-time, while a high contrast LCD display on the rear of the microphone provides visual metering as well as basic recording control.

Audio capture and output can be configured in a number of ways thanks to the microphone’s innovative output selection. In its default mode the VideoMic HD’s audio is recorded and outputted as a dual mono signal. When in ‘safety recording’ mode, the microphone captures and outputs the standard audio signal on the right channel and a -20dB attenuated signal on the left channel. In case of unexpected boosts in the audio the user has a safety backup channel of audio that can be referenced. A third output setting allows for dual mono audio capture and a balanced signal output using the optional RØDE VXLR 3.5mm to XLR adaptor.

The VideoMic HD offers a 3.5mm mono line in that supports ‘plug in’ power, allowing for the connection of a secondary microphone such a lavalier or headset. The microphone’s fourth output mode allows the tracking of the line-in to one of the stereo channels, both on the on-board recorder and through the 3.5mm output jack.

The microphone body is constructed from rugged, lightweight die-cast aluminium and features a quick release cam lever for simple and secure mounting in any universally sized camera shoe mount.

Drawing on the design architecture of the award winning RØDE Blimp, the VideoMic HD features a unique windshield and suspension structure. The capsule and line tube are completely suspended inside the microphone, providing superior shock mounting and isolation from physical sound sources through the microphone body, and the outer geodesic structure provides strength while offering superior wind protection to foam windshields. A DeadCat VMHD furry windshield is supplied with the microphone to provide protection in high wind environments.

For more information and to register your interest to be notified when the microphone begins shipping, please visit rodemic.com/vmhd.